"I reflected upon the beauty of my Ascanio, and it occurred to me--forgive me, mesdames, if there was anything in the thought which seems to cast a reflection upon the French, but I am accustomed to the ways of our Italian princesses, who, in love, it must be confessed, are very weak creatures--it occurred to me that a sentiment which had little connection with art--" "Master," said François, frowning darkly, "reflect before you speak." "I apologized beforehand for my temerity, and asked to be permitted to hold my peace." "I bear witness to that," said Diane; "you yourself bade him speak, Sire; and now that he has begun--" "It is always time to stop," said Madame d'Etampes, "when one knows that what one is about to say is a falsehood." "I will stop if you choose, madame," said Benvenuto; "you know that you have but to say the word." "Yes, but I choose that he shall continue. You are right, Diane; there are matters here which must be probed to the bottom. Say on, monsieur, say on," said the king, keeping his eyes fixed upon the sculptor and the duchess. "My conjectures were taking a wide range when an incredible discovery opened a new field to them." "What was it?" cried the king and Diane de Poitiers in the same breath. "I am getting in very deep," whispered Cellini to the duchess. "Sire," said she, "you do not need to hold the lily in your hand to listen to this long discourse. Your Majesty is so accustomed to hold a sceptre in a firm grasp, that I fear the fragile flower may be broken in your fingers." As she spoke, the duchess, with one of those smiles which belonged to her alone, put out her hand to take the jewel. "Forgive me, Madame la Duchesse," said Cellini; "but as the lily plays an important part throughout my story, permit me to enforce my words with ocular demonstration." "The lily plays an important part in the story you have to tell, master?" cried Diane, snatching the flower from the king's hand with a movement swift as thought. "In that case, Madame d'Etampes is right, for if the story is at all what I suspect, it is much better that the lily should be in my hands than in yours, Sire; for, purposely or not, your Majesty might, by some uncontrollable impulse, break it." Madame d'Etampes became terribly pale, for she deemed herself lost; she hastily seized Benvenuto's hand, and her lips opened to speak, but almost immediately she thought better of it. Her hand let the artist's fall, and her lips closed again. "Say what you have to say," she muttered through her clenched teeth,--"if you dare!" she added in so low a tone that Benvenuto alone could hear. "Yes, and measure your words, my master," said the king. "And do you, madame, measure your silence," said Benvenuto. "We are waiting!" cried Diane, unable to restrain her impatience. "Fancy, Sire, and you, madame, fancy that Ascanio and Madame la Duchesse d'Etampes corresponded."